Chandigarh, March 8 – The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Pooja Rani Wife of accused Hardeep Singh, who along with five other accused had been collecting money from different persons by posing as vigilance and CBI officials. The court produced her and sent her to two days’ police remand for further investigation into the case.

VB Apprehends Pooja Rani Accomplices for Coercing Farme

Today, a state VB spokesperson revealed that they had apprehended four accomplices of Pooja Rani. These individuals coerced a farmer into giving them two cheques totaling Rs 25 lakhs. They impersonated vigilance officials from the Chandigarh office, threatening the farmer with false charges. Accused Manjeet Singh and Paramjeet Singh from village Mehlon, tehsil Samrala, along with Parminder Singh from Akash Colony, Hoshiarpur, and Pinder Sodhi from Chabbewal, Hoshiarpur district, are currently in judicial custody. One accused, Hardip Singh, a resident of Khamano town, in Fatehgarh Sahib district has been absconding.

Ludhiana Resident Coerced into Paying Rs 25 Lakhs

He further informed that complainant Palwinder Singh, a resident of village Bhaini Salu, police station Koom Kalan, Ludhiana district, registered this case. The complainant had informed that he had sold 18 acres of his ancestral land. Thereafter, he received a notice regarding the sale of panchayat land, following which, three unknown persons came to his house on August 12, 2023, and introduced themselves as officers from the Vigilance Department at Sector-17, Chandigarh.

Accused Allegedly Extorts Rs 50 Lakhs for Land Sale

The complainant alleged that the accused demanded Rs 50 lakhs from him to resolve the matter regarding the sale of panchayat land, stating that an inquiry was pending at the Chandigarh office. They threatened to file a fraud case against him if he didn’t comply. Fearing repercussions, the complainant agreed to pay Rs 25 lakhs. The accused persuaded him to sign two cheques of Rs 15 lakhs and Rs 10 lakhs, promising to return them once they received Rs 25 lakhs in cash. Additionally, one of the accused took Rs 27,000 and left after obtaining his phone number.

The spokesperson informed that thereafter, the complainant had received threatening calls on his WhatsApp for the registration of a criminal case against him if he failed to give the promised Rs 25 lakhs in cash. In this regard, VB Police Station, Ludhiana range, registered FIR No. 20 dated 28.8.2023 under sections 7, 7-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and 384, 120-B of IPC.

“Accused Pinder Sodhi’s Disclosures and Arrest of Pooja Rani”

He further disclosed that accused Pinder Sodhi had made certain disclosures about the modus operandi they adopted to cheat various individuals, including the complainant of this case, and regarding the involvement of the aforementioned accused Pooja Rani, who was also nominated in this case as an accused.  Since from the date of commission of crime of this case, Pooja Rani was staying in Delhi alongwith her husband Hardeep Singh who is absconding.

The spokesperson reported that, after exerting extraordinary efforts, they arrested accused Pooja Rani while she was roaming in a taxi near Ladhowal toll plaza, Ludhiana.  The VB team has recovered two mobile phones and certain important documents from her possession related to case.

Mention ably, during investigation it has came to light that the above accused had extorted amount of Rs 52 lakh from one family of village Pehowa in Haryana state in June 2023 after conducting a raid at their premises by impersonating themselves as CBI officers.